Feel Like Crying
by LoliTurk
Summary: A drabble about Boone's and the courier's thoughts before the second battle of Hoover Dam. fluff Boone/M!Courier


The tiny room was filled with a heavy silence. The NCR was good to them in light of the upcoming battle with the legion. They had been given supplies and a room at the barracks. It wasn't as nice as their place at the Lucky 38 or as homey as Novac, but the kindness of it was what mattered. Even with the greater feeling of solidarity with the brave soldiers, Sikes couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

It felt like it had been years since his fateful night in Goodsprings cemetery. Everything he had seen and all the people he's met in such a short time. Sikes' muscles ached by just thinking of all the miles he's walked. There were victories and losses, and a few other things that were hard to forget. His eyes drifted over to his companion on his hectic journey.

Boone was sitting on his fold-out bed, carefully examining each piece of his rifle as it was spread out before him. The man showed no sign of losing the quiet strength he was known for. He had been hardened by years of combat and training, a far cry from the staggering bar fights where the courier learned to throw a punch.

He prided himself on his gun-slinging and he welcomed the simple lessons Boone taught him. He hid his blush with sunburn and the blond man merely shrugged.

It was stupid to feel so much so for someone that wouldn't understand. At worst he was Boone's drug dealer, tracking down legionnaires to sate his hunger and at best, he was a confidant that desperately wanted to cure him of his guilt. No matter how close they might become, the soldier would never love him. He would always be at arm's length as he watched Boone fall apart.

It hurt sure, but he did his best to bury those feelings in whiskey and the company of another.

Major Knight was a good, honest man and they thought warmly of each other. Sikes received a letter from him recently, he was finally getting his leave in New Vegas and wanted him to be there. If they survived.

He should accept the invitation. It would help get his mind off of more hopeless pursuits, and the sooner he dealt with that the better. If it was any other day he would be there in a heartbeat, but today...

The legion was so close now and they might not make it back alive. Knowing his mortality, he wanted to talk to Boone one last time.

The soldier stood up and the courier stopped him before he could leave. "Wait…" He said sheepishly, a part of him didn't want the taller man to hear. The tone stopped him in his tracks, unable to remember a time where his smooth-talking leader was anything other than confident. He had spat in the face of Caesar himself, but one sniper made him nervous.

The dark-haired man took his hands in his own and without the gloves he usually wore, he could feel the differences between them. The courier's hands were softer than his, far better suited to holding books and stitching wounds than the nasty business of war. He barely said anything since they arrived at Hoover Dam.

"I feel like I should say somethin' important, but none of it seems appropriate. So I'll just say this…" The courier started and stopped, unable to look him in the eye. His head raised a little, no longer hiding his face under his favorite cowboy hat. "You're a good man Boone and no matter where this crazy journey of ours takes us, I will _always_ be glad I met you."

He stopped suddenly, choosing to stop before anything traitorous slips out. The courier let go of his hands, heartbroken and determined to carry the words to his grave. "I should go see if we have enough stimpacks." He said abruptly before moving towards their bags.

"You've checked it three times already, we have enough." Boone said bluntly and the courier froze. The man wasn't as emotionally dense as people assumed and had known for some time. He chose not to mention it for a stack of reasons. Namely, his survivor's guilt and figuring out how Sikes would fit in with his love for Carla.

The Courier froze in place and feared the worst when Boone started to talk. "But I could help you, if you want." He added with a nervous cough.

The courier blinked, unsure of what that meant. "That…that would be good." He said as the sniper sat down next to him and helped sort the bags. They had the same number of stimpacks, med-x, and ammo as before as the other times the dark-haired man checked.

Boone gave a long sigh. "Thank you for...everything." He was never good at this sort of thing and hoped Sikes would catch his meaning. "I know it was hard on you." He said, setting aside a bag of clothes.

The courier shrugged, unable to keep from smiling. "It wasn't that bad."

Romance had never been easy for the two of them and this was hardly an exception. Although, Sikes wished he could scrape together what little good luck they did have and using it to keep them together. Boone inched closer and a naive blush tinged his cheeks. "…I've never kissed a man before." He admitted, nervously he licked at chapped lips.

"Don't worry about it." Said the cowboy as he pressed their lips together.


End file.
